Officers under investigation for immoral crimes

Three officers with the Pittsburg Police Department have been placed on paid administrative leave as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office investigate them and others from the Antioch Police Department for alleged “crimes of moral turpitude,” authorities said.

In a statement Friday afternoon, the district attorney’s office said it and the FBI “conducted courtauthorized law enforcement activity at multiple locations” on Wednesday. The investigation, the statement continued, “pertains to sworn law enforcement officers from the Antioch Police Department and Pittsburg Police Department.”

“The broad range of offenses under investigation involve crimes of moral turpitude,” prosecutors said. “A review of both active and closed cases involving these officers will be necessary to evaluate whether those cases are now compromised.”

The district attorney’s office did not release any additional details about the criminal probe.

The Pittsburg Police Department acknowledged the investigation in an Instagram post, writing that it involved “several local police officers, including three current Pittsburg police officers.”

The agency said it received information in September that one of its officers was involved in illegal activity.

“The tip also indicated that other law enforcement officers were involved, but did not go into further details,” police said. “When we learned of the allegations, we immediately contacted the district attorney’s office and asked them to conduct an independent criminal investigation.”

On Wednesday, the FBI and the district attorney’s office met with the three officers. They were placed on paid administrative leave after the meeting, police said.